Golf shoe



United States Patent O 3,512,274 GOLF SHOE Robert E. McGrath, Grafton, Mass., assignor kto B-W Footwear Company, Inc., Webster, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 26, 1968, Ser. No. 747,959

Int. Cl. A43b U.S. Cl. 36-2.5 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the manufacture of golf shoes, care must be taken to assure the fabrication of a shoe which is substantially waterproof and at the same time confortable, flexible and not too heavy. One difficulty in constructing a golf shoe with such qualications arises because of the need for securely anchoring cleats to the shoe. Conventionally, these cleats are threaded into cleat holders which in turn are anchored in the sole construction of the shoe. A variety of different means have been devised to anchor these cleat holders in the shoe but insofar as known, none have proved completely satisfactory. In some casesvthe construction is such that leaks and passages rapidly develop about the cleat holders, thus permitting water to get into the shoe when the shoe is worn and used on wet grounds. In other constructions, the shoe provides too rigid a sole structure, thus limiting the utility and comfort to the wearer. Other difficulties have been encountered with a variety of constructions attempted heretofore.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improved golf shoe construction in which an integral sole and heel is formed of a molded material. Positioned between this integral sole and heel assembly and an insole are a plurality of cleat-holding assemblies. These cleat-holding assemblies preferably comprise a lamination of a plurality of layers having a plurality of cleat holders with heads positioned between adjacent layers and threaded sleeves extending from the heads and projecting through one of the layers and the outer sole. Also provided in a preferred embodiment is a liller of microcellular crepe material` positioned `above the cleat-holding assemblies and below the insole.

DESCRlPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a golf shoe embodying a preferred form of the invention with the golf shoe shown in a longitudinal cross section taken substantially along a line extending lengthwise of the shoe from its toe to its heel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED yEMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a typical ice golf shoe embodying the present invention. The shoe illustrated is a right foot shoe and illustrates one-half of the shoe looking toward the instep side thereof. The side of the shoe in the left-footed shoe has constructions consistent with that illustrated, and for that reason need not be described in detail.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, there is provided an upper 1, a sole 2, and a heel 3. The shoe may be of any conventional golf shoe design and may comprise, for example, a conventional blucher pattern shoe having a quarter 5 and a conventional -wing tip 6. A tongue 7 may be stitched to the read edge of the vamp 8 with suitable eyelet rows 9 in the ears ofthe quarter 5 for lacing. The quarter may be provided with a quarter 1ining 10 that extends rearwardly about the heel from the top line 11. Secured between the quarter lining 10 and the quarter 5 is a conventional reinforcing counter 12. If desired, the wing tip may have an integral foxing 13 that extends rearwardly of the heel and is secured to the quarter 5 directly and by a vertically extending strip 14 at the back seam.

The lasted-over margins 20 of the upper including the counter 12 are suitably and lirmly secured to the insole 21 by suitable means including, for example, by tacks, staples or cement. The insole 21 may be formed of any suitable insole material, 'but preferably is formed of a composition material of liber or of leather.

An integral outer sole 2 and heel 3 are formed of an injection-molded, polyvinyl chloride material. The molded heel 3 may be provided with a iiller 22 of suitable, inexpensive material. A homosote ller may be used. A plurality of cleat holders 24 may be molded into the heel 3 with internally threaded sleeves of these cleat holders 24 extending downwardly through the heel to receive the cleats 25. The sole 2 and heel 3 have an upper periphery 28 which is suitably bonded to the lower margin of the upper to form a watertight seal between the contiguous portions of the upper and the heel-sole combination.

A pair of cleat-holding assemblies 30 and 31 are positioned between the insole 21 and the outsole 2 in the ball region of the outsole. The cleat-holding assembly 30 eX- tends transversely of the shoe rearwardly of cleat holder 31. Cleat-holding assembly 30 comprises a lamination of a layer of leather 33 and a facing layer of rubber 34 suitably and firmly bonded together by cement. These layers 33 and 34 extend across the width of the shoe in the rear portion of the ball area and terminate short of the side edges of the outsole 2. A pair of cleat holders 35 having a common head 36 and internally threaded sleeves 37 are secured with the heads 36 between the layers 33 and 34. The common head 36 comprises a metal bar extending across the shoe. The sleeves 37, connected at their ends to the ends of the metal bar, project through holes in the layer 33 and through a hole in the sole 2. Cleats 38 having ilanges 39 are threaded into the sleeve 37 with the anges 39 in tight, gripping arrangement with the lower surface of the sole 2. The cleat-holding assembly 30 is substantially bonded to the sole 2 in a non-pervious, w-aterproof seam 45. This may be attained by assembling the sole construction with the cleat-holding assembly when the sole 2 is being molded.

The cleat-holding assembly 31 which may be assembled in the sole construction in a manner similar to the assembly of cleat-holding assembly 30 and at the same time is provided with a layer 47 of leather and an upper layer 48 of rubber laminated to each other. These layers 47 and 48 are suitably bonded together and are suitably secured to the sole 2 in a permanent bond in a manner as previously described. A plurality of cleat holders 50, similar to the cleat holders 35, are positioned fwith their heads 51 between the layer 47 and 48 and with their sleeves 452 projecting downwardly through the layer 47 of leather and through a hole in the sole 2. Cleats 55, similar to cleats 38, are securedrto the cleat holders 50 in a manner similar to theY securing of cleats 38 to the cleat holders 3.5.

The cleat-holding assembly 31 substantially covers the toe portion ofV the sole and extends from one side to the other, short of the side walls of Ythe outsole 2. Preferably, ve cleat holders maybe secured wit-h their heads between the layers 47 and 48.

A microcellular crepe iille1260 extends from just rearward of the cleat-holding assembly 30 to a Ipoint just rearward of the heel brest 61. This filler 60 has a width which extends marginally inlward from the side edges of the sole and has a thickness which issubstantially equal in thickness to the cleat-holding assembly 3). The microcellular crepe ller 60 provides additional flexibility in the instep region and lightness to the golf shoe.

Positioned above the ller `60 rand the cleat-holding assemblies 30 and 31 is a linerV 63 which is preferably formed of leather or microcellulan crepe. This liner extends to the inner margins of the upper and provides a protective cover for the cleat-holding assemblies and also provides -a"relatively rm foundation for the footfA suitable arch support of conventional design ymay be provided over the liner 63 in the instep region. This arch support may be covered with a fibrous cover, 62. Cemented to this brous cover 62 and to liner 63 in the toe portion is the insole 21. i

The golf shoe illustrated provjdes cleat-holding sleeves 37 and 52 which are adapted to receive cleats 38 and 55. v

These cleat holders and 50 are embedded in the cleatholding assemblies 30 and 31 in such a manner as to prevent water that might seep inbetween the cleat-holding sleeves 37 and the outsole from penetrating t0 the insole 21. Thus, by using a cleat-holding assembly consisting of a exible lamination, preferably of leather and rubber with one of the laminates bondedV to the sole when the sole is being molded, a suitable waterproof closure is attained that prevents ingress of water about the cleat-holding assembly.

e What is claimed is: i

1. A golf shoerconstruction comprising an upper, a molded water-impervious sole secured at itsV periphery to the lower margin of the upper, a cleat-holding assembly comprising a pair` of flexible layers, a plurality of cleat holders each having heads and integral, internally threaded sleeves with the heads positioned between the said layers and the sleeves projecting through holes in one of said layers and aligned holes in said sole, anY insole positioned above said outsole and within said upper, means securing said cleat-holding assembly between said insole 'and the lower surface of said outsole'with said cleat-holding assembly having portions bonded to said outsole, and cleats v secured to said cleat holders and extending from said sole.

2. A golf shoe construction as set forth in claim'l having a second cleat-holding assembly spaced from and positioned rearward of said first-mentioned cleat holding assembly, said second cleat-holding assembly comprising a pair of flexible layers, a plurality of cleat holders, a metal bar extending transversely of said shoe intermediate said iayers of said second cleat-holding assembly and integrally and rigidly securingsaid cleat holders together, said cleat holders each having internally threaded sleeves extending downwardly through holes in one of said layers of said second cleat-holding assembly and aligned holes in said sole, means securing said cleat-holding assembly between said insole vand thelower surface of said outsole with said cleat-holding assembly having portions bondedto said outsole and cleats secured to said cleat holder of said second cleat-holding assembly.

3. A golf shoe as set forth in claimnZ wherein said cleat-holding assemblies each have one layer formed of a water-imperrrgeable4 material bonded in a water-impermeable seal to said outsole.

4. A golf shoe as set forth in claim 3 having a heel including a microcellular ller inserted between said insole and said outsole and extending rearwardly of said second cleat-holding assembly to the brest of said heel.

5. A golf shoe as set forth in claim 4 including a ller interposed between said insole and said cleat-holding `assemblies.

References Cited' 'i UNITED STATES PATENTS l PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

